10 TV Shows Like The Morning Show To Watch While Waiting For Season 4

The Morning Show season 3 has officially come to a close and with no release date for The Morning Show season 4 in sight, there are plenty of series similar to the Apple TV+ hit for viewers to binge in the meantime. The Morning Show season 3 finale was released on November 8 with yet another cliffhanger ending that will leave viewers anxiously waiting for the next season. Fortunately, as one of the best shows on Apple TV+, The Morning Show was renewed for a fourth season even before the third season started airing.

The Morning Show season 3 cast is full of talented, accomplished, star-studded actors including Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Billy Crudup, Jon Hamm, Julianna Margulies, and more. Those who have enjoyed their performances in The Morning Show might want to check out other projects from the actors, of which there are many to dive into. However, The Morning Show fits into a particular group of series with its intensity, workplace-driven drama, portrayal of current events, and mixture of news and entertainment. Luckily, many other series have set the precedent for The Morning Show’s success and are ready and waiting to be binged.

10 House Of Cards

(2013 – 2018)

Similar to The Morning Show with Apple TV+, House of Cards was one of Netflix’s first original series and an instant success for the new streaming service when it premiered in 2013. Also like the Apple TV+ drama, it featured a notable cast with Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Kate Mara, and more. Based on the 1989 novel and the 1990 BBC series of the same name, House of Cards is a political thriller series about Frank Underwood (Spacey), a ruthless politician, and his ambitious wife and a political lobbyist, Claire (Wright).

What really ties The Morning Show to House of Cards is the lines that get blurred between anti-hero and villain with its main characters. The Morning Show season 3 saw Cory go full villain and there are many others who have questionable morals and don’t always seem to know the difference between right and wrong. House of Cards has six seasons and 73 episodes, providing hours of dramatic television to tide viewers over while waiting for The Morning Show season 4.

9 Being Mary Jane

(2013 – 2019)

The BET series Being Mary Jane was created by Mara Brock Akil, also known for creating and producing the hit sitcoms Girlfriends and The Game. Gabrielle Union starred as the titular successful TV news anchor for 5 seasons and 52 episodes. Originally titled Single Black Female, much of the series is focused on her romantic life, so for the viewers drawn by the romance in The Morning Show, Being Mary Jane is a good match. The story follows Mary Jane as she tries–not always successfully–to balance her career success with her personal life; a similar dilemma that faces many of The Morning Show’s characters.

8 Succession

(2018 – 2023)

Succession has been a dominant drama series for the past five years, often facing The Morning Show (and coming out on top) at major award ceremonies. The HBO series tells the story of the Roy family and their company Waystar RoyCo, a diversified media conglomerate. As the title explains, it focuses on the fights between family members and others to become the successor as CEO of the company when the patriarch, Logan Roy, begins to decline in health.

The battle for power and the CEO position is a strong focus in The Morning Show, especially throughout season 3, which drew comparisons to Succession. For viewers who enjoy the business and behind-the-scenes aspects of The Morning Show, as well as the many complex dynamic power dynamics, Succession is a great recommendation. The satirical comedy-drama series recently ended after four seasons in May 2023, so new viewers can enjoy the luxury of the suspenseful elements without having to wait for weekly releases to find out who would become Waystar RoyCo’s new CEO.

7 The West Wing

(1999 – 2006)

The West Wing is one of the most critically acclaimed drama series of all time, featuring an iconic cast of actors, many of whom were shot to fame through their involvement in Aaron Sorkin’s political drama. Ensemble members included Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, and more. Its title is also its primary setting, with the series centering around the administration of the fictional President Josiah Bartlet.

It’s partially due to the great success of The West Wing that dramas like The Morning Show can rise to popularity in the first place. Originally broadcast from 1999 to 2006 on NBC, The West Wing had 7 seasons and 150 episodes to binge and learn about the daily operations of the federal government’s Executive Branch. The Morning Show season 3 began to thrive again as an ensemble series in areas where The West Wing has always excelled.

6 30 Rock

(2006 – 2013)

The Morning Show has comedic elements to it, but 30 Rock is known as one of the greatest modern sitcoms. The Tina Fey series is semi-autobiographical, inspired by her experiences as a head writer for Saturday Night Live, where she got her big start. Named after 30 Rockefeller Plaza, home to NBC’s New York City studios, 30 Rock follows the crazy, humorous behind-the-scenes antics of a fictional live sketch comedy show.

Many viewers have embraced the campiness of The Morning Show, whether intentional or delightfully accidental. A laugh-out-loud comedy series also provides a nice break from the intensity and occasional darkness of The Morning Show. Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Alec Baldwin, and more deliver comedic masterpiece performances worth visiting or revisiting. The seven seasons and 139 episodes of 30 Rock may seem like a tall task but with its 22-minute episodes and brilliant humor, they can go by in a flash and leave viewers wanting more.

5 Great News

(2017 – 2018)

Great News was another sitcom produced by Tina Fey, but unfortunately, it never caught on in the way 30 Rock did. Its interesting premise followed Briga Heelan as Katie Wendelson, an up-and-coming segment producer of the news program The Breakdown, whose mother, Carol (Andrea Martin), is hired as one of the show’s interns. Their familial and workplace relationship brought about some comedic situations in its 2 seasons on NBC, which are currently streaming on Netflix. Its unique plot sets it apart from The Morning Show in many ways, but with just 23 episodes, it’s a contribution to the fictional TV news genre that’s worth the easy watch.

4 NewsRadio

(1995 – 1999)

A more critically acclaimed NBC sitcom was NewsRadio, which ran for 5 seasons in the latter half of the 1990s and focused on its titular format rather than television. The comedy ensemble cast featured Dave Foley, Stephen Root, Andy Dick, Maura Tierney, Vicki Lewis, and others. In a somewhat ironic turn, Joe Rogan played an electrician at the station known for sharing conspiracy theories. The latter two seasons of NewsRadio embraced surrealism with settings in outer space, which connects it to The Morning Show season 3, episode 1, and the Titanic. The 97 episodes should hopefully be enough to help keep viewers busy while waiting for The Morning Show season 4.

3 The Newsroom

(2012 – 2014)

Before The Morning Show, there was The Newsroom. The second, but not the last Sorkin series on this list, The Newsroom ran for three seasons on HBO with 25 episodes. Another ensemble show, the HBO series explored the behind-the-scenes world of a fictional cable news channel. The Newsroom starred Jeff Daniels as the nightly news anchor and managing editor, with Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Olivia Munn, and more portraying his colleagues. It’s not hard to see the similarities between The Morning Show and The Newsroom, making it a great alternative to watch while waiting for season 4.

2 Sports Night

(1998 – 2000)

The final Sorkin show on this list, Sports Night ran for just two seasons, but with 45 episodes in total, many viewers wished it had gotten another shot after ABC canceled it. Inspired by SportsCenter, the fictional Sports Night was a nightly cable program co-anchored by best friends Casey (Peter Krause) and Dan (Josh Charles – who later went on to co-star with Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife years before she joined The Morning Show cast in season 2). Like The Morning Show and many others on this list, the series alternated between on-air tapings, backstage drama, and high jinks.

Despite some Emmy Award wins and a Golden Globe nomination for a pre-Desperate Housewives Felicity Huffman, who played the executive producer of Sports Night, it was never able to truly find its audience. Sorkin had the opportunity to shop the comedy-drama series to other networks after ABC canceled it, but he understandably decided to focus on The West Wing instead. The Morning Show viewers can enter Sorkin’s world with Sports Night and more, and perhaps pick up on some of the ways his distinct formula rubbed off on the Apple TV+ series.

1 Murphy Brown

(1988 – 1997; 2018)

Murphy Brown rounds this list out as its longest-running show by far with a rare 11 seasons and 260 episodes. It also has the distinction of being the only series on the list to have received a revival, albeit a brief 13-episode one, though there’s still a chance and a hope that others will one day be rebooted. As the eponymous star of Murphy Brown, Candice Bergen picked up five Emmys and two Golden Globes, and when watching, it’s easy to see why.

Murphy Brown was an investigative journalist and news anchor, first for a fictional CBS television newsmagazine and then for Murphy in the Morning. She was a media icon comparable to The Morning Show’s Alex Levy duo to her drive and presence on camera. The Morning Show initially became popular because of its two powerful and compelling lead female characters. The Morning Showmight not have even been possible today without a show like Murphy Brown and Bergen’s character. If its 260 episodes don’t last viewers the entire hiatus before The Morning Showseason 4, there are nine other shows on the list to explore along with it.